


he was a sk8r boy

by inthheightlive



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bisexual Sokka (Avatar), F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Gay Zuko (Avatar), M/M, Skater Zuko, So Does Azula, Surfer Sokka, also zuko and azula are twins bc i said so, idk they live on the beach, kind of like a skateboarder/surfer au, ozai is mentioned, zuko has trauma
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-29
Updated: 2020-08-21
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:08:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,167
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25594051
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inthheightlive/pseuds/inthheightlive
Summary: If Sokka had been paying attention, none of this would have happened. He would’ve caught the volleyball, served it back over the net, and carried on with his day like nothing ever happened.But of course, like always, nothing ever works out in his favor.(Or, Sokka meets Zuko in the most painful way possible.)
Relationships: Aang/Katara (Avatar), Mai/Ty Lee (Avatar), Minor or Background Relationship(s), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar), Suki/Yue (Avatar)
Comments: 50
Kudos: 208





	1. sorry i broke ur skateboard

If Sokka had been paying attention, none of this would have happened. He would’ve caught the volleyball, served it back over the net, and carried on with his day like nothing ever happened.

But of course, like always, nothing ever works out in his favor.

“Sokka! Get it!” Sokka heard in his right ear, and saw his friend look to him in anticipation in his peripheral vision. It felt like time was slowing down as he practically skipped backwards to aim his arms in time to bump the volleyball back over the net.

He just went too far.

He felt his bare feet leave the sand and hit the black hot concrete. For a split second, all that was on his mind was the fact he had stepped out of bounds. A second later, it was the pain of his hands and knees burning on the pavement.

A skateboard clattered to his left and he felt a sting in his side, where he had unknowingly collided with someone going faster than the usual human could walk.

“Fuck,” someone to his left muttered, and Sokka looked up to find a lanky boy on his back, rubbing his forehead and searching the sky like he had no idea where he was. Then he snapped his head up at Sokka, a fierce look in his eyes. “Dude. Watch where you’re going.”

The first thing Sokka noticed was his eyes. They were a deep golden color, and they glistened in the bright sun that beat down on them. The second thing Sokka noticed was the faded, but still fiery red scar that surrounded his left eye. Sokka’s curiosity was piqued almost immediately.

“Are you okay, man?” Sokka heard the familiar voice of his teammate as he shakily stood. He silently gave him a thumbs up before offering his hand out to the stranger with the golden eyes.

The stranger’s glare didn’t go away when he saw Sokka’s hand, if anything it got harder. He stood to his feet on his own and turned to face Sokka. “Don’t you know how to walk by now?” He muttered, and Sokka should’ve been offended, but he wasn’t.

“You would think,” Sokka shot back, with a chuckle. “You’re okay though, right? I think you fell harder than I did.”

The stranger didn’t respond, instead he looked over Sokka’s shoulder. His face fell (as much as it was able to) when he spotted something a few feet away. “My board!”

Sokka twirled around when the stranger shoved past him and picked up his skateboard, which was now broken in half. _A little fall did that?_ Sokka wondered, but the questions in his head were answered when he spotted the peeling brown tape that still held on to each half of the skateboard.

He grimaced and slowly approached the mourning stranger. “I’m sorry about your skateboard. Um,” he paused, after he visibly saw the other boy tense up. “I want to buy you a new one.”

“Why the hell would you want to do that?” The stranger snapped back at him. Sokka shrugged, before he realized he was facing the stranger’s back.

“Um,” he chewed on the inside of his lip before answering in more of a question than a statement. “I was the one who ran into you?”

Sokka watched as the stranger gave a small sigh before standing and facing Sokka again, this time with his mutilated skateboard in hand. “There’s no reason for you to buy me a new one. It was broken before you ran into me.” His tone was softer now, as if he had given up on being angry with Sokka.

If it were anyone else, Sokka thinks, he would’ve taken this answer and continued his volleyball game, but the golden eyed, scarred, sad-looking stranger intrigued him. There was just something about this boy that Sokka didn’t want to give up on.

“You’d probably still have it in one piece if it weren’t for me.” Sokka countered, tapping the skateboard for added emphasis. “Let me pay for it.”

Sokka saw his tense shoulders fall and he closed his eyes for a brief moment, letting out another sigh. The stranger nodded, like he had decided that there was no use in trying to argue any further.

Sokka let out a grin that had been hiding for a few minutes and waved to his teammates, who had already started a new game during Sokka’s conversation with the stranger. After Sokka had asked where the stranger’s go-to skate shop was, and they established it was walking distance, it was down to the two of them to make conversation on their way there.

Silence hung between them for a few long minutes, until Sokka decided that desperately searching for something to look at during this walk was not going to cut it for the entire way. “I’m Sokka.” He tried, picking at his nails nervously.

The stranger peered at Sokka for a second, before going back to staring straight ahead silently. “Zuko.” He murmured a few seconds later. Sokka smiled warmly, already feeling more at ease.

“That is a dope name. Nice use of the letter Z. And my personal favorite letter, K.” Sokka joked, gesturing as though he were a businessman discussing trade deals.

“I guess.” Zuko shrugged, not even the crack of a smile evident on his face. “Just what my parents gave me.”

“Your parents have good taste! What I would do to have a name as cool as _Zuko_.” Sokka smiled again, trying to get Zuko to smile a little bit, but he managed to do the opposite. Zuko scowled instead, walking a little bit faster.

“U-uh,” Sokka choked out, skipping a bit to catch up with the other boy. “So, you skate? I mean—obviously you skate but like, where’d you learn?” He was trying desperately to make conversation.

“I taught myself. Got bored one day and stole my neighbor’s skateboard.” Zuko responded, and Sokka’s eyebrows jumped up.

“You stole it?” He inquired, still walking a bit too fast for his liking to keep up with the taller boy.

“No, I was joking.” Zuko turned to face Sokka, abruptly stopping. “C’mon, joker. I was sure you would get that one.” His words were icy, and Sokka knew he was treading thinly on top of them.

“Sorry,” Sokka rubbed the back of his neck, feeling uncomfortable and a bit embarrassed. “I was just trying to keep the mood up. I still feel super bad about running into you, and my coping mechanism is humor, so I always let that—” He cut himself off, realizing he was rambling.

A moment of silence hung between them, as Sokka rubbed the back of his neck (which was flaring up in embarrassment) and he heard Zuko inhale softly a bit before exhaling loudly. “Go on.” He murmured, and the tension in the air dropped significantly.

Sokka smiled again, a little less embarrassed. “Just a habit of mine—rambling. A nervous habit, I mean.” He swung his arms a little, still trying to keep up with the taller boy’s long strides.

The walk was quiet again for a few moments, but instead of resenting the silence, Sokka used it to swallow his nerves ( _why_ did Zuko make him so nervous?) and think of something interesting to say. He opened his mouth to ask more about Zuko’s skateboarding career when Zuko pointed ahead of them at a colorful storefront. “That’s the shop.”

Sokka nodded, trailing behind Zuko when they approached the store and the taller boy pulled the door open and let them in, a small “ding!” coming from the door.

Sokka immediately took notice of the fact that the store was incredibly colorful. The walls were intricately lined with display skateboards on racks and rollerskates on shelves. Neon signs adorned any space that was available, with phrases such as “stay wild” or “do what you love” or the ever-charming, “suck my dick!” There was, Sokka noticed, the faint smell of weed most likely coming from the back room, which was separated from the rest of the store by a thin curtain. _Oh well_ , he thought. _What else would you expect from Southern California?_

He followed Zuko up to the front desk, where he placed his broken skateboard on the counter. The employee behind the desk snickered, giving Zuko’s mutilated skateboard a look. “Zuko, man, c’mon. This is the fourth time this month.” He gave the scowling teengaer lopsided grin, picking up both halves to get a closer look. Looking at the boy who, by the way, _actually seemed comfortable teasing Zuko_ , Sokka noticed he wore a ratty apron with JET scribbled on it in glitter and paint.

Zuko said nothing, much like he did on the walk over, but that didn’t seem to phase Jet. “I can try and patch this up, but man, I can’t keep giving you discounts. My boss was already suspicious the third time you came in here.” Jet gave Zuko a sheepish grin, setting his board back down on the counter.

“No,” Zuko started, shaking his hand. “I’m getting a new one today.” His words seemed to surprise Jet, who stepped back a bit and put a hand over his chest.

“Do my ears deceive me? Broke ass Zuko is going to buy a new skateboard?” He laughed, _genuinely laughed_ , and shot the other boy a humored look.

Sokka watched the exchange silently, glancing over at Zuko as Jet guffawed. Zuko’s cheeks tinted red slightly, and he let a quick breath out of his nose. “N-No,” he started, making Jet abruptly cease his laughter. “Sokka is going to buy it for me.” He almost whispered, like he was embarrassed.

Jet looked over at Sokka for the first time since they entered the shop, his thin eyebrows lifting in surprise, like he had just noticed Sokka was even there. “You his new boyfriend or something?” Jet said bluntly, and Zuko let out a grown immediately afterward.

“Jet, shut up!” He squeaked, a hand finding his face and rubbing at his tired eyes. “We kind of…collided today near the beach which is what made me break my skateboard again. He offered to buy me a new one and I didn’t see any reason why I should say no.” Zuko rattled off his explanation, which was actually the most he’s said the whole time Sokka has been with him.

“Ah,” Jet smirked. “Let me know if you need anything.” His words were icy, and he grabbed the broken board and went into the backroom, leaving Sokka and Zuko alone in the store.

“He’s…” Sokka paused, searching for the right word as Zuko let out another sigh and let his shoulders slump. “Nice?” He finally decided.

“No, he’s a dick.” Zuko stated simply, picking up a sleek wooden board from one of the racks. “I really wished he wasn’t working today but the universe hates me. I’m starting to think I make it too easy.” Sokka’s curiosity flared up even more. He assumed Zuko had some kind of past with the employee, Jet. He didn’t push, Sokka knew his boundaries. Zuko examined the board carefully, before putting it back on the rack and looking at Sokka. “Are you going to help or are you going to stand there?”

“Oh! Um, I don’t know much about buying skateboards.” Sokka admitted, rubbing his arm sheepishly. “Is it similar to buying surfboards? I’m pretty good at that.”

“I...don’t know. I’ve never bought a surfboard.” Zuko countered, furrowing his single eyebrow. Sokka giggled a bit.

“Awesome. We’re off to a great start.” He laughed a bit more, before picking a black skateboard with purple decals off the wall. “I’m gonna pretend it’s similar to buying a surfboard. If that’s the case, you want to try and invest in a skinnier board, right? Makes it easier for tricks and stuff.” Sokka held the board up and compared it to another wider one on another wall.

“Yeah, I know.” Sokka looked over to see Zuko giving him a small smile. “I prefer a thinner board because it's lighter to carry and it doesn’t feel like I’m riding something super heavy.” Zuko took the board from Sokka, running his finger down the side. “This one is good.”

“Nice. I like that one too, good choice.” Sokka nodded, smiling. “How much is it?”

Zuko flipped it over on its back, and the two boys looked at the sticker that very boldly stated the price -- one hundred and forty dollars. Zuko grimaced. “You sure you want to?” He asked in a small voice, and Sokka wondered what had changed. Twenty minutes ago, he was cold and cut off from Sokka. Now, he had a softness in his demeanor that Sokka preferred, to be honest.

“Yeah, don’t worry about it man. I got my paycheck last Friday, so I’m totally good. Plus, if I don’t do this, my conscience will be beating my ass for weeks.” He reassured the other, taking the board and walking up to the desk. He rang the little bell that sat on the counter a couple times before Jet, looking a little more red in the face (and eyes) than before walked over.

“Found one?” He asked as Sokka handed him the board. “Cool. That’s one forty, man.”

Sokka slid his debit card into the card reader, sending a small smile toward Zuko as the machine beeped, signalling a complete order. Sokka swore he saw Zuko’s cheeks tint pint a bit, before he looked at Jet, who had already started to screw Zuko’s old wheels on the new board.

“Thanks,” Zuko murmured quietly as they watched the scruffy looking boy across from them tighten the screws on the last wheel. “You’re way too nice. I don’t know anyone that would buy something this expensive for a stranger.”

Sokka grinned. “I have this weird guilt thing like I said earlier. I wouldn’t have been able to stop thinking about you and your poor broken skateboard if I hadn’t.” Sokka closed his eyes in slight embarrassment after he realized what he had said. _I wouldn’t have been able to stop thinking about you. Okay, awesome, Sokka._

Zuko’s small smile stayed evident on his face and if he had caught Sokka’s embarrassment, he didn’t show it. Jet slid the new skateboard across the counter and handed Sokka the receipt. “Pleasure doing business with ‘ya.” He smacked his gum and disappeared back into the breakroom.

“So,” Sokka started once they had left the shop. “Try it out.” Zuko couldn’t stop the tiny grin that became evident on his face as he set the board down on the ground and stepped on. He nodded as he adjusted his feet and bounced a little to test the durability.

“Okay.” He nodded in approval, then suddenly pushed on the ground with his foot and took off down the sidewalk. Sokka squawked and ran to keep up with him.

“How is it?” He called, jogging to keep level with Zuko. The other boy smiled and nodded, his shaggy dark hair blowing behind him in the wind. Zuko sped up a bit more before trying out an ollie, then slowing down and letting Sokka catch up.

“It’s nice,” He nodded again, picking the board up. “I forgot what it feels like to ride a skateboard that’s not damaged.”

Sokka laughed. “Looked fun. I really should learn one day.” He thought back to Zuko’s content smile as he rode on the pavement, looking way more refreshed and relaxed than he had before.

“You said you were a surfer, right?” Zuko looked up at him, a glint in his good eye. Sokka nodded, shrugging a bit sheepishly.

“Kinda. I mean, I’d consider myself okay at it but my sister’s better.”

“I don’t see how skateboarding could be any harder than surfing. Honestly, it’s probably way easier. Do you want to learn some?” Zuko asked, and Sokka nodded quickly, genuinely enjoying Zuko’s company and not wanting their little outing to end.

Okay, so he spoke too soon. Sokka’s phone rang loudly in his pocket and he held a hand up to Zuko, checking it. _Well, speak of the devil and she shall appear, I guess._ “Sorry, my sister.” He apologized, answering the call. Zuko shrugged, sending him a look as if to say _believe me, I know._

“Hey.” Sokka said when he answered the call.

“Where are you? Your shift started fifteen minutes ago. Dad hasn’t noticed yet, so you better get your ass here before he does.” Katara, Sokka’s sixteen year old baby sister, had apparently decided to skip the formalities.

“Shit,” Sokka breathed, checking his watch. _2:45 pm. Fuck._ “Okay, can you stall him or something? I’m on my way. If he ends up asking, tell him I just got caught up in the game.”

“Whatever. You owe me if I have to vouch for you one more time.” She sounded more amused than annoyed in her voice, making Sokka want to laugh.

“You do. See you in, like, five.” He hung up before sending an apologetic glance toward Zuko. “So, I completely lost track of time. I’m supposed to be at my job right now. Well, I was supposed to be there fifteen minutes ago.”

Zuko shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. Go before your boss gets mad or something.” He got back on his skateboard, preparing to push off. “Raincheck on the skateboarding lesson?”

“Yeah, raincheck.” Sokka smiled, nodding at the other boy. Zuko smiled back, ever so slightly, before pushing off and riding away. Sokka watched him go for a few seconds before something dawned on him.

“Wait, Zuko, I don’t have your--” He started to yell, but Zuko was already too far to hear him.

Oh well, there can’t be that many Zuko’s around Los Angeles. He’d find him eventually. For now, though, he had a job to get to and a dad to avoid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just letting y’all know i literally live in the suburbs and i know nothing about surfing and skateboarding! but i’m doing this anyway!
> 
> thanks for reading :0 hopefully u liked it bc i will be continuing, not sure how many chapters this’ll be yet !! but !! hopefully i’ll be able to update once a week
> 
> thanks again !! kudos n comments r appreciated :D
> 
> follow me on twitter: @ciaraozwald and tumblr: @intheheightslive


	2. wait i don’t have ur number

It wasn’t until Zuko was about halfway home that he realized he hadn’t asked for Sokka’s number, or his last name, or  _ anything.  _ He mentally cursed himself as he stepped off his board and approached his house. Zuko had been avoiding boys and dating and anything to do with either of them since Jet happened six months ago. He wasn’t going to sit back and let himself get hurt again, but something about Sokka was different from the moment he crashed into him. He was kind and he smiled a lot and he made Zuko feel like he was  _ actually being listened to.  _ And Zuko had let him slip through his fingers. He fidgeted with the array of keys hooked into his dark pants-  _ car, garage, old house, ah- there it is _ \- before sliding the dark blue key into the matching lock and opening the front door. 

He made his way into the kitchen only to be greeted by his twin sister Azula, who was sitting at the kitchen island, going to town on a box of cheez-its. He caught her eyes and gave her a small smile and a wave. Her face remained expressionless, but at least she gave him a nod back. Zuko considered that a victory. 

Azula was getting more and more talkative as the days went on, but it was a slow process. Ever since the two of them moved in with their uncle following the court rulings that put his father in prison a year ago, she hadn’t been the snarky, bossy and overbearing sister he had grown up knowing. Azula had changed drastically in the past year, losing her spark that Zuko didn’t know he missed until it was gone. Zuko had taken the liberty of being the older brother (technically, he was born fifteen minutes before) and protected Azula from being hurt again in the past year. It wasn’t like it was hard either, she barely left her room. Zuko only saw her during dinner and times like these, when he came home to her in the kitchen eating some kind of snack. It hurt him to see her like this still, knowing the trauma hurt her at a drastically different level than him. He doesn’t know where they’d be without their uncle, though. He completely turned the twins’ life around after the incident. Uncle Iroh had tried his best to make the twins feel at home- he was the best pseudo-parent Zuko could ask for. He had made room in his home for them even when there wasn’t any, gave them space, made sure he allowed them to express themselves however they wanted. He had even given them guaranteed jobs at his popular tea shop near the beach. Zuko took him up on the offer pretty quickly, as it distracted him from thoughts he didn’t like to think about. Azula still hadn’t worked a shift yet, but Zuko knew she’d come around eventually. He knew how strong she was.

Azula’s eyes landed on Zuko’s new skateboard. She swallowed a cheez-it and nodded towards it. “New board?” 

Zuko glanced down at the piece of wood he had tucked under his arm. He let a small lopsided smile make his way onto his face as he recounted the memories. “Yeah, funny story actually. I accidentally--” Zuko cut himself off when he noticed his sister’s eyes had dropped to her snack and a scowl had replaced her once blank expression. “Um, If you want to hear about it, that is,” he quickly backtracked. 

Azula shook her head, so subtlety Zuko may have missed it, and started putting away the snack. “Not right now. Maybe later,” she muttered, before she quickly left the room. Zuko heard her bedroom door shut, and he was left alone. 

Zuko’s chest bubbled with disappointment and he couldn’t help but feel like he utterly fucked that up. She was out of her room, talking and eating and Zuko had opened his fat mouth and driven her off. He felt like such an idiot sometimes. I guess, he thought, today is just an idiot day. 

Zuko ran a hand through his shaggy black hair, making a mental note that maybe it was time for a trim, and then thinking back to Sokka. He was still cursing himself for not asking for the other boy’s number. He was sure he had to live close by, since he had told his sister he’d ‘be at work in five.’ _It would be creepy to try and find his work now, right?_ _Yeah, that’s creepy. Don’t do that, Zuko._

Zuko groaned and put his head in his hands. He needed to talk to someone that wasn’t Azula about this. His closest friends were his coworkers, three girls with drastically different personalities, but he loved them all the same. He wasn’t working today, but he knew they were. He also knew they were almost always on their phones during their shifts. He pulled out his and texted their group chat.

**JD bad bitches chat**

**Zuko:** All three of you are still there right?

Zuko got a response almost immediately from the person he knew would be on their phone.

**Ty Lee:** yup!! are u gonna come see us :0

**Zuko:** Yeah I need some help. Let Suki and Mai know I’m on my way.

**Ty Lee:** yay!!! see u in a bit <3

Even reading a text from Ty Lee was enough to cheer him up- her bubbly personality came through so strongly. He pocketed his phone and left the house for the second time that day, double checking that the door was locked. Maybe that was his paranoid nature, maybe it was the fact he forgot to lock the door once and Iroh’s dumb cat had gotten out and turned the tiny family into a search party at 11pm at night. He was _not_ making that mistake again. 

Zuko could ride to the tea shop with his eyes closed, so he let himself get lost in his thoughts on the way there. Said thoughts were solely occupied by the tanned, blue-eyed boy who had been kind enough to buy him the very skateboard he was riding on. He wasn’t sure  _ why  _ Sokka was so appealing to him, besides the fact that he was cute. Zuko wasn’t  _ blind-  _ he knew a cute boy when he saw one. There was just something about the way Sokka spoke, as if he had complete confidence in the words that came out of his mouth, that made him so capitvating. He said everything with such vigor, such enthusiasm, that Zuko was kind of jealous. He wished he had ever had that much self-assurance. 

Zuko stepped off his board and kicked it up to hold it when he approached his Uncle’s tea shop,  _ The Jasmine Dragon _ . Zuko’s eyes drifted over to the pride flag his uncle had tacked up on the window after he had come out, a small smile making its way onto his face. He was insanely lucky to have someone like Iroh. 

Walking in, he heard the faint  _ ‘ding’ _ above his head and he noticed the shop wasn’t as packed as it usually was. Three to six pm was usually their downtime, so he didn’t think too hard about it. He made eye contact with Ty Lee, who was counting money at the register. Mai was next to her, restocking some muffins in the display case. 

“Zuko!” Ty Lee squealed, waving him over. Zuko smiled at her, unable to keep a straight face. “I’m so glad to see you. It’s been so boring all day.” At this, Mai looked up at her with a quirked eyebrow. “I mean, of course, I’ve enjoyed your company, Mai.” Ty Lee quickly backtracked, making Mai let out a humored breath of air and waved to Zuko, who returned the gesture. 

“Hi Ty Lee, hi Mai.” He leaned on the counter, drawing his eyes back to the girl with the long braid. “What do you mean boring?” Maybe the shop had been like this all day, then. That would be pretty odd- usually they had a constant line down the middle of the shop. 

“It’s been quiet and Iroh hasn’t been here to keep us company.” Ty Lee pouted, picking at her nail. Ah, that’s right. Zuko’s uncle was on his monthly trip to a town a couple hours away to get more tapioca for the store. When Zuko had asked him why he didn't just buy some that was delivered straight to the shop, Iroh had waved him off. He said delivered tapioca didn’t taste the same as authentic, homemade tapioca. Zuko didn’t really know what the difference was, you had to boil them anyway. Iroh had asked him if he wanted to join him this time, but Zuko politely declined. He didn’t see the appeal of sitting in a car with his uncle for three hours with his hippie tunes.

“We’re holding up though. I’ve gotten a lot of storage done.” Zuko heard a familiar voice come from the back, and he was met with the smiling face of his other coworker, Suki. 

“Uncle will be pleased about that.” He nodded, smiling back at her. 

“What did you need our help with?” Mai said, changing the subject like she usually did. Zuko nodded, thankful that she got him back on track. 

“I wanted to know if you guys know someone. I met him today but I didn’t get to ask him for his number or anything. I know it’s a long shot but—” Zuko was cut off by Ty Lee, whose eyes had grown to the size of tennis balls and she leaned forward on the counter by her hands. 

“He?” She inquired. “Is he cute? What’s his name? Do you like him?” She rattled off, light on her feet. Zuko wasn’t fazed. 

“Yeah, I guess he’s cute. His name is Sokka.” He answered, purposefully ignoring the last question Ty Lee had asked. 

When Zuko mentioned the boy’s name, he saw Suki pop up a bit in the seat she had pulled up and sat in. “Wait,” she paused, furrowing her eyebrows at Zuko. “Sokka? Like, a little ponytail, tan skin, blue eyes, shell necklace Sokka?”

Zuko’s heart sped up a bit and he nodded. “Yeah! He surfs too, if that’s anything.” 

“I know him! We were lab partners in chemistry last year.” Suki grinned. “We got along super well and now we’re pretty good friends. How’d you meet him?” Suki barely shared anything about her personal life at work, which Zuko had found odd at first, but eventually just chalked up to some people being more private than others. In two months, however, he had gotten to know the girl more and more. Little tidbits about her life, such as her knowing the boy who had fussed over him earlier, were becoming less surprising when she revealed them.

“Um,” he paused, feeling his cheeks heat up a bit. “We kind of collided with each other. He was playing volleyball and got too close to the sidewalk and I ran straight into him when I was riding. My board broke again and apparently he felt so bad he insisted he buy me a new one.” Zuko held up his new skateboard in emphasis. 

“Wait,” Mai held up her hand. “ _ He just bought you a new skateboard? _ What is he, rich?” 

“That does sound like Sokka.” Suki nodded. “One time in chemistry, he broke a bunsen burner and got really upset when our teacher wouldn’t let him buy a new one for the school. He’s got this weird guilt thing.” 

“Okay, so he’s rich  _ and  _ he’s a klutz.” Mai nodded, like she understood everything. 

“I wouldn’t say he’s rich,” Suki shrugged, making Ty Lee giggle at the fact she had chosen not to comment on the klutz part. “He’s just apparently had a steady job since he was like fourteen, so I’m sure he’s got  _ some _ money in the bank.” 

_ Job. Job! Sokka mentioned his job.  _

“Do you know where Sokka works?” Zuko asked. 

“Yeah, his family owns a surfboard rental place that’s, like, right on the beach. It’s really nice. It’s called _ Hakoda’s Surf Shack _ . I think it’s family owned.” Suki smiled, and Zuko had never been more thankful he had her in his life. He smiled at her, making a mental note. 

“Are you gonna go?” Ty Lee asked, bouncing on her heels. She had always been super invested in Zuko’s love life, something Zuko himself had never been  _ that _ enthusiastic about, but he couldn’t say no to Ty Lee. He didn’t think anyone could. Except maybe Mai. 

“Probably?” Zuko answered, but it came out more unsure than he intended. “I don’t want to seem like I’m desperate to find him, though.” He tapped his fingers on the counter nervously. 

“I’ll go with you, so you’re not alone or anything. Also, I haven’t seen Sokka or Katara in a while, so it might be nice to catch up.” Suki shrugged, sending a comforting smile towards Zuko when she saw his shoulders relax significantly. He nodded in appreciation. 

“You two have fun with that. I, for one, am just happy you’re moving on from that piece of shit skater.” Mai deadpanned, crossing her arms. Ty Lee nodded in agreement. 

“Yeah, for real. I’m proud of you, Zuko. You seem happier.” She looked at him with  _ those eyes _ , and Zuko sent them all an unsure smile. 

“Thank you for worrying. Again. I know how unbearable I’ve been since that whole...” he paused, gesturing half-heartedly around himself. “-thing. I’m lucky to have you guys.” He mumbled the last sentence, watching as Ty Lee and Suki’s expressions softened even more and Mai’s smirk grew. 

“You’re our friend, Zuko. Our incredibly idiotic, whiny, adorably oblivious friend.” Mai nodded, reaching forward and flicking his nose before turning around and disappearing into the back. 

The conversation ended there because a customer came up to order. Zuko didn’t see the appeal in loitering around any longer- even if the three girls were his closest friends, they had jobs to do and he was starting to feel a little socially burnt out. He left the shop and headed for home, rubbing the spot on his nose where Mai had flicked him. 

Zuko opened his creaking bedroom door, smiling at the peaceful silence that enveloped him as he entered his room. If there was any place he felt most comfortable, it was in his room with only his bluetooth speaker to keep him company. Zuko plugged his phone into said speaker, shuffling his Liked Songs playlist, and collapsed on his bed to the sound of Tame Impala. 

Zuko hadn’t had a day like this in forever. It almost— _ almost _ —made him feel like his life was back on track. For the first time in a long time, Zuko felt like a normal teenager, doing normal teenager things. He was going to wake up early, go to Sokka’s work, and ask for his number. That was the plan. The perfectly solid, not-at-all-weak-in-any-way, guaranteed-to-work plan. 

Zuko wasn’t sure when he fell asleep, but he woke up to the sound of the front door opening and closing. He sat up slowly, eyes adjusting to the faint light coming from his desk lamp. It was much darker than it was when Zuko got home. He probably slept past dinner time. 

He slid out of his bed, noticing how his clothes stuck to him with sweat. Good going, Zuko. Fall asleep in your clothes in the summer without the fan on, great idea. He grunted softly and peeled his shirt off, replacing it with a clean, more flowy shirt he usually slept in. He replaced his jeans with basketball shorts he never wore anywhere that wasn’t home, and went to greet whoever it was that came through the door. 

“Ah, Zuko!” Iroh exclaimed, happy to see his nephew for the first time since that morning. “Glad to see you are home. The girls said they saw you this afternoon.” Iroh was hurriedly putting groceries away in the pantry as he spoke, and Zuko took this time to glance at the clock on the oven. 

It was half past seven, so he had slept for at least three hours. He let out a small sigh, sitting at the island. “Yeah, I just did some skating and went to say hi. Not a very interesting day.” Zuko lied. He wasn’t really in the mood to recount the day  _ again _ , but he was sure he’d talk to his uncle about his debacle at some point. 

“Mm,” Iroh nodded, reaching into one of the reusable bags he brought to the grocery store and pulling out a small red box. He slid it over to Zuko, who picked it up and smiled softly. It was a box of Red Hots, his favorite candy. Iroh slid another box over, this time some Mike and Ike’s, Azula’s favorite. “Give that to your sister. I’ll start dinner.” 

“Thanks, Uncle.” Zuko nodded, grabbing the colorful box and walking carefully to Azula’s room. He stopped in front of the door, where a big red ‘A’ was painted on the wood. He inhaled and exhaled once quietly, before knocking. 

There were a few moments of silence before Zuko heard her get off her bed and trudge over to the door. She opened it, looking disheveled. “What?” She asked, leaning against the door frame. 

He held out the Mike and Ike’s, plastering a comforting smile on his face. “Uh,” he started, blinking a few times. “Uncle went to the store and got us some candy. I don’t know if you want it now, but here.” 

She took it from his hand, nodding. “Thanks, Zuko. Tell Uncle I said thanks as well.” An fond expression subtly spread across Azula’s features as she held the box of candy to her chest. 

“Okay, will do. He’s making dinner right now, do you want me to get you when it’s done?” Zuko stepped back, pointing toward the kitchen. He watched as his twin nodded again, before shutting her bedroom door. 

Something twisted inside Zuko’s stomach. It was the same something that had been there since they moved in with Iroh. He wished so badly he could help Azula, but according to their therapist, all he could do was be there for her. He let out what felt like his hundredth sigh of the day and slid back into the kitchen to talk to his Uncle. 

The rest of the night went by slowly. Uncle made fried rice with vegetables and tofu, and the small family made idle talk as they ate. Zuko finally told the tale of his broken skateboard and Sokka, the friendly surfer, and Uncle was delighted. 

“A new friend!” He smiled. “There is nothing in this world quite like the friends we make. I would like to meet him someday.” Zuko flushed. 

“I just met him today, Uncle. It’s not like we’re good friends or anything.” He protested, moving a piece of tofu around his plate with his chopsticks. He knew he looked sheepish to Iroh. 

“A friend is a friend, Zuko.” Was all he said in response, before turning to Azula to ask about her day. Zuko zoned out after that, his uncle’s words taking up his thoughts. 

_ Yeah,  _ he thought.  _ A friend.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes azula is SAD but she will not be sad forever i promise <3 next chapter will have a glimpse at sokka’s family n life :D 
> 
> also ok i think i found a schedule for this 
> 
> every wednesday a new ch will b posted :D hopefully i’ll b able to get them written in time bc writing before i post? Nahhh
> 
> anywayyysss if u liked dis chapter kudos n comments r super super appreciated mWAH!!!!!!! 
> 
> follow me on twt: @ciaraozwald  
> and on tumblr: @intheheightslive 
> 
> KISSES!!!!!


	3. we were reunited at da surf shack

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter **WAS NOT** edited! i was a little late on writing it and didn't get it to my editor in time so that's my fault! also this chapter is a bit shorter than the rest!! just a heads up!! enjoy :-]

Sokka’s summer mornings were mostly the same. He woke up, ate a half-assed breakfast, terrorized his little sister, maybe went on a run. He loved mornings, despite what some people may assume about him. He  _ hated _ waking up, sure, but he loved the feeling he got in the morning after he  _ was _ awake. He felt alive and refreshed on normal mornings. 

Today was not a normal morning. 

“Wake up!” Sokka felt himself being shaken violently, hands gripping his tee shirt. His eyes flew open and he sat up quickly, momentarily ignoring the dizzy feeling that engulfed his head as he struggled to look at the person who had woken him up so forcefully. She smiled evilly. 

“Hi,” Katara patted his shoulder. “Dad told me to get you up. It’s almost eleven.” With that, she turned on her heel and left the room, leaving his door open on purpose. Sokka let out a small groan, feeling his head start to pound. He glanced at the clock on his wall to confirm that it was, indeed, almost eleven AM. He inhaled sharply, before throwing his head back on his pillow and trying to relieve himself of the pounding behind his eyes. 

\---

“Good morning, sleeping beauty!” Sokka closed his eyes as soon as he heard the overwhelmingly optimistic voice in his ear. He cracked his eyes open again after a few seconds to see his sister and her boyfriend, Aang, sitting at the kitchen table together. 

“Hi Aang,” he nodded, deciding not to lose his temper just yet. “Why are you here?” Sokka then asked, tying his hair back into his signature wolf tail with his black hair band and getting himself a glass of water. He knew the answer to that question, yet asked it anyway. Aang was over at their house practically everyday during the summer. He couldn't stop him from coming over just like he couldn't stop the sun from setting. 

“Katara and I are going to go get some lunch before you guys start work! Do you want to join—ow!” Aang got cut off, most likely from Katara kicking him in the shin. Sokka’s back was turned to the couple, but he knew his sister well enough to know what was happening. “I mean, do you want us to pick you up anything?” Aang recovered, his words slow like he was trying not to make the same mistake twice. 

“Um,” Sokka paused, putting an aspirin pill on his tongue and taking a sip of his water. “No, I’m fine. I’ll just have something here.” He shrugged halfheartedly, glancing over at Katara and Aang. 

“Oh, okay. Are you alright?” Aang asked, a worried look covering his face. The kid was the most empathetic person Sokka knew, he was someone who would drop everything if he saw a complete stranger crying. And on top of that, he was a vegetarian. Because of course he would be. Aang downright refused to eat anything that used to move on its own. Sokka couldn’t count on his hands the number of times Aang made them stop and help a random animal on the side of the road. 

He took a minute or so to breathe before answering Aang’s question. “Yeah, I’m fine. I just couldn’t sleep at all last night.” 

“Really? Why?” Aang pestered, the worry on his face only growing more intense. Sokka saw Katara smirk and he knew whatever words came out of her mouth next would ruin his morning even more.

“Apparently,” she started, and Sokka groaned loudly to drown her out, putting his head in his hands. “He  _ met _ someone yesterday. He’s like totally in love. I heard him on the phone with Yue last night.”

It was relatively true. Sokka _had_ called Yue, one of his closest friends since middle school, and let himself vent about the day to her. He knew he could say what he wanted around Yue, which in result caused him to start talking  _ way  _ too loudly about Zuko’s smile and his cool demeanor and how soft his hair looked and by the time Sokka noticed, it was too late. Katara was standing in the doorway, a smile on her face. He chased her out, but knew there was virtually nothing he could do as he heard her laughing maniacally in the hallway. Little sisters were such a goddamn burden sometimes. 

Aang’s smile had grown to match Katara’s in the time Sokka had recounted the events that unfolded the night before. “Who’s this someone, Sokka?” 

Sokka blankly stared at the two younger teenagers before going to the pantry, grabbing the box of  _ Cap’n Crunch _ cereal, and leaving the kitchen. 

He did his best to drown out their giggles by eating loudly. 

\---

Sokka was in the storage room when it happened. 

He was dressing one of the mannequins that usually sat in the store window, attempting to match an outfit that was eye-catching, when he heard the front entrance bell ring. That was pretty standard; they had a customer. Katara and Aang were out there, they could handle it. He stood up, searching the storage room for a white top he could put on the mannequin when he heard a familiar voice out on the main floor. 

“Hey Katara! Hey Aang!” 

Sokka’s face split into a grin. It was Suki, another one of his closest friends and Yue’s girlfriend. Sokka, Suki, and Yue had dominated chemistry class the previous year. The three of them had grown quite close after being assigned to the same lab table. Yue and Suki, one could argue, grew a bit closer to each other than to Sokka. In conclusion, Sokka loved Suki. She was definitely his rock. She was so much less hot-headed than him, all calm and relaxed. Her and Yue made a spectacular team when it came to talking him down from a terrible idea. 

Sokka debated going out to greet her for a moment, before deciding to finish his mannequin project. Besides, it sounded like she was in the middle of a conversation with Aang anyway. 

Sokka spent a few more minutes (frustratingly) rearranging and replacing the clothes on the mannequin before hearing something from the main floor that piqued his interest. A familiar male voice, but very faintly familiar. He furrowed his eyebrows, standing up and making his way out of the back. He was curious now.

What he wasn’t expecting to see when he walked out onto the main floor of his father’s store was Zuko, clenching his fists by his side as he nervously talked to Katara. Sokka felt his mouth open and close as he tried to figure out a way to approach this. Fortunately (or maybe unfortunately), he didn’t have to. 

“Sokka!” Suki grinned, running over to give him a bear hug. He let himself relax as he felt her in his arms, the feeling not unfamiliar with her. “I haven’t seen you in so long, you big dumbass.” She pulled back to cup his cheeks and move his head around, looking at his hair. “You’re growing out the sides of your hair?”

“Not really.” Sokka said, laughing at her bluntness. “I just keep forgetting to shave it.” 

“Oh. Well, I like it. Looks different, but good different.” She smiled at him, before turning around and nodding at Zuko. “We wanted to come say hi.” 

“Hey, man!” Sokka smiled at Zuko, walking over and pulling the other boy into a hug similar to the one Suki gave him. He felt Zuko stiffen at first, but slowly hugged him back. When he pulled away he could see the faint red that painted Zuko’s cheeks. 

“Hey, Sokka.” Zuko smiled back at the other boy, blinking a few times. “Sorry if this is...sudden or something. I, um, realized I forgot to ask you for like, your number yesterday and I found out Suki knew you, so—” He cut himself off when he realized he was rambling and talking a bit too much with his hands. 

“It’s really cool that you guys wanted to come by and see me.” Sokka grinned, pulling Suki into another hug. “Way to make a guy feel loved!” He exclaimed as Suki ruffled his hair. 

“Ahem,” Katara glared at her older brother. “I’m sure  _ Suki _ wanted to see us too.” She gestured to herself and Aang. 

“Yes, of course I did, Katara. Anything to see my favorite  _ high school juniors _ ! Are you excited?” Suki clasped her hands together and leaned on the counter. 

Sokka heard his sister start her  _ ‘junior year is going to be so hard but I know that we can do it’ _ monologue and he rolled his eyes, glancing at Zuko. “I’m gonna take my break.” He snickered, nodding his head toward the front of the store and walking away. Zuko’s eyes briefly widened before he followed him quickly. 

Sokka rested his back against the brick on the outside of his dad’s store and slid down, sitting on the concrete. He glanced over at Zuko, who was standing awkwardly before him. 

“Sit! Maybe we can have an actual conversation without Katara interrupting for once.” Sokka snorted, watching as Zuko sat down carefully next to him. 

“I can see the family resemblance.” He said after a few seconds of comfortable silence. “I’d think you two were twins if Suki didn’t tell me she was your little sister.” 

Sokka laughed quietly, nodding. “Yeah, everyone says that. She looks so much like my mom though. I can see her so clearly.” He felt his own words grow distant as he said them. 

“Your mom? Does she, um, run the store with your dad?” Zuko asked, putting his hands on his knees before deciding against that and laying them at his sides. 

“No, she died when I was young. It’s cool, don’t worry about saying sorry or something. I don’t mind talking about her.” Sokka said quickly, knowing how these conversations usually went. 

Zuko only nodded. “I understand. My mom left when I was young too. She might still be alive though, I don’t even know.” He shrugged, and Sokka noticed his breathing had slowed. 

“Hey," Sokka smiled comfortingly, raising his clenched fist. "Absent mothers club.” Zuko stared at it and Sokka briefly panicked, thinking he had crossed some sort of line, but before he could apologize Zuko reached up and bumped his callused fist with his. 

“Yeah.” That was all he said, but a small laugh fell from his lips as well. 

“How often do you surf?” Zuko asked, the words falling quickly out of his mouth. He was a little afraid of the silence that hung between them. “I was curious because I didn’t realize your family owned a surfboard rental place.” 

Sokka laughed, tilting his head from side to side to indicate unsureness. “As often as I can, to be honest. I have a lot of work hours so I usually spend most of my days off at the beach. Usually on those days I either surf or play volleyball. Which, I guess, is where you met me.” 

“Oh yeah, you missed the ball. You must be terrible at that game.” Zuko smiled teasingly. 

“Hey!” Sokka sputtered, a grin evident on his face. “I’ll have you know I am great at volleyball. The fuckers on the other team just hit it too far!” He laughed and Zuko let his smile linger. 

“Yeah, sure.” He nodded, making sure Sokka saw him roll his eyes. In response, Sokka shoved his shoulder lightly. 

Sokka liked how easy it was to have a conversation with Zuko. The other boy was a great listener and seemed to be quick-witted in his responses when they settled into comfortable conversation. Zuko asked him more about surfing and Sokka told him about the time he got pulled under by a tidal wave and Katara nearly blew up on him about being more careful.

“Listen, it wasn’t even that big of a wave. She was way too worried, I was fine.” Sokka rolled his eyes, the not-so-fond memory of coughing up water for an hour straight afterwards on his mind.

“I don’t know Sokka,” Zuko shrugged. “I kind of understand why she was mad. I mean, a tidal wave? That’s not safe.” 

“You sound like her now, man. I learned my lesson! No more big waves, I get it.” Sokka held his hands up in defeat. 

“Yeah, no more.” Zuko shook his head. “How—” he started, but was quickly cut off by a figure coming around the corner and standing in front of the two boys. 

“Dad!” Sokka yelped, standing up quickly. Zuko followed suite. “Hi!” He smiled sheepishly. 

“Sokka, your break ended 20 minutes ago. Inside, please.” Hakoda berated his son, but the small smile that was evident on his face showed he wasn’t all  _ that  _ mad at Sokka. 

“Yessir!” Sokka fake saluted, before noticing the other boy was still there. “Dad, this is Zuko. I met him yesterday when I was at the beach.”

Hakoda smiled at the boy standing next to his son, holding out his hand. When Zuko shook it, he nodded. “Nice to meet you Zuko, I’m Hakoda, Sokka and Katara’s dad.” 

“He knows that, duh.” Sokka laughed. “I’ll be inside in a minute, I promise.” Hakoda only narrowed his eyes teasingly before stepping back around the corner. 

“Sorry, I better let you, um, get back to your job. Sorry for holding you up.” Zuko apologized and Sokka shook his head. 

“Nah, man. Thank you for holding me up. Sometimes I get so sick of being in there all day.” Sokka rubbed the back of his neck, before feeling his shorts for his phone. “Let’s actually exchange numbers this time so we can talk.” 

Sokka noticed Zuko’s cheeks turned a light pink again before he took Sokka’s phone and punched his number in. “There.” He nodded and handed it back. Sokka sent a quick message to make sure the number was right. 

**1 New Message!**

**Unknown: heyyyyyyy**

Sokka giggled at his own text from over Zuko’s shoulder and clapped the other boy on the back. “Let’s talk soon. I do believe you owe me a skateboarding lesson?” He pointed at Zuko knowingly as he walked toward the entrance to his dad’s store. 

“Yes, I do!” Zuko nodded, enthusiastically. “And you’re going to teach me how to surf.” He added, feeling rather confident. 

“I am?” Sokka asked, raising an eyebrow. Then he grinned evilly. “Oh, yes I am. This is going to be fun, Zuko.” Sokka laughed, walking into the store and leaving Zuko outside. 

“Hey, ready to go?” Suki asked a few minutes later when she stepped outside. Zuko grinned at her, making her raise her eyebrow. Zuko felt different, he felt excited for the days to come. 

He hadn’t felt like that in a long time. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok so like
> 
> i know this chapter wasnt the best and i KNOW there's grammar mistakes but ya know bear with me :p i kinda wanna just call this a filler chapter and move on but idk its not really a filler chapter. idk
> 
> next week's chapter will be infinitely better so SORRYYYY also we will go back to zuko's awkward ass yaaasss
> 
> as always comments n kudos r appreciated<333
> 
> follow me on twitter @ciaraozwald and tumblr @intheheightslive !!


	4. sokka's target tour

The silence between Zuko and Suki was broken fairly quickly after they had walked a short distance away from Hakoda’s store. Suki looked behind her quickly before elbowing Zuko. 

“So?” She asked, the corners of her mouth quirking upwards as she looked at him curiously. He raised his eyebrows, tightening his grip on his skateboard. 

“So what?” He asked, feigning ignorance. She scoffed and rolled her eyes, two stepping him off the curb of the sidewalk. He let out a humored exhale of breath, stumbling a bit as he regained his balance. 

“So what did you and Sokka talk about by yourselves? Got a date or something?” Zuko had suddenly become very interested in his shoes while she talked, but when she finished her question he snapped his head up, doing nothing to hide the faint blush that streaked his cheeks. 

“No!” He sputtered, shaking his head. “Date? What? No, we’re friends.” He clenched and unclenched his teeth a couple times. 

“C’mon, Zuko.” Suki blinked at him. “I know you like him. Get off your ass and ask him on a date already. You never know what he might say,” she said with a shrug and a knowing smirk on her face. 

Zuko flushed again, his mind reeling. He shook his head after a few beats of silence. “I, um,” he started, feeling his mouth go dry at the thought of asking  _ Sokka _ on a date. “I’m not sure we’re there yet.” 

“Okay.” Suki shrugged again, stretching her arms up over her head as they neared her house. “I won’t bother you about this anymore if you want me to. I’m just saying…” She trailed off, her eyes twinkling as she opened the gate to her walkway. 

“I know you are.” Zuko replied earnestly, smiling softly in her direction. “Thank you for coming with me. You are, um, a good friend.” 

“I’m sorry, can you say that again? I need it on video.” Suki laughed, pulling her phone out of her back pocket and aiming it in Zuko’s direction as if she was filming him. 

“Shut up!” Zuko laughed as well, rolling his eyes and gesturing broadly to her house. “Go inside before I call your mom and tell her you’re harassing me.” 

“Whatever, Zuko.” Suki whacked him on the shoulder, pocketing her phone again. “I’ll see you tomorrow at work.” 

Zuko watched her walk up her front steps and go into her house before he set his board on the ground and took off towards his own house. 

-

Zuko had noticed, very quickly, that living with his uncle was immensely different compared to living with his father. Uncle Iroh’s small home, which was fairly old and creaky but incredibly warm (Uncle’s words—he had made the joke that his house was just like him shortly after welcoming the twins into the house, laughing heartily), puzzled Zuko when he first moved in. He had never felt as though he felt safe in any house he had lived in previously—he had realized later that it was mostly the people inside the house that made it so cold—but Iroh’s one story house with sliding doors and a cramped backyard was the first place he found himself referring to  _ home _ . 

He and Azula had lost almost everything after their father was thrown in prison, most notably the giant house they had lived in for the first 16 years of their lives. It was never home, but it was familiar, and losing that familiarity hurt them in ways they had never imagined. A year later, Zuko knew he could never step foot in that house again or everything would just come tumbling down. He wasn’t sure if Azula felt the same or not—if she considered Uncle’s place as ‘home’ like Zuko or she wanted to return to the empty and cold building they had once lived in. 

A few days later, on his afternoon shift, Zuko anxiously tossed a quarter between his hands as he waited for the kettle to boil. Since he talked to Sokka at his family’s business, he’d been texting Sokka almost everyday but he wasn’t sure when he would be able to see him in person again. Both of them had been busy with work lately. Zuko’s long hours at the tea shop usually didn’t bother him all that much, because he was with Mai, Suki, and Ty Lee, but he was so anxious to see Sokka again that his shifts felt longer than usual. 

Zuko had also never used his phone more than he had the past few days. Before Sokka, Zuko never checked his phone during work. He put it in his locker and left it there the whole day. Now, he found himself checking it between every customer he served just in case Sokka texted him. 

A shrill  _ ding  _ signalling a new text message pulled Zuko out of his thoughts. He blinked a couple times before pulling his phone out of his work apron pocket and unlocking it. Seeing Sokka’s name lit up on his phone screen, Zuko excitedly opened his texting app and read the message. 

**Sokka: i dont see the point in summer reading**

Zuko raised an eyebrow, typing out a quick reply. 

**Zuko: Summer reading? Like for school?**

**Sokka: yeah like i dont want to read some play when i could b out surfing or playing vball ya know???**

**Zuko: Yeah, I get that. It feels out of place**

**Zuko: Are you trying to do the summer reading now?**

**Sokka: yeah lol**

**Sokka: this shit is BORING i would rather be hanging out with u**

Reading over Sokka’s last text, Zuko felt his cheeks warm up. He rubbed a hand over his face, slightly embarrassed by the effect Sokka had over him. It was a harmless text, but it still had Zuko flustered, because of course it would. 

**Zuko: Haha so would I. Thanks :)**

**Sokka: so what r u doing then??? brooding by urself i assume**

**Zuko: I don’t brood**

**Sokka: sure man**

**Zuko: Whatever**

**Zuko: I’m at work**

**Sokka: that’s it?**

**Zuko: Basically. I guess more specifically I’m making tea for customers.**

**Sokka: hey thats cool**

**Sokka: dont spill any boiling water or anything**

**Zuko: I will not**

**Zuko: I’ve done it before it’s not fun**

**Sokka: ok that’s a story i want to hear**

**Sokka: when do u get off? wanna hang?**

**Zuko: I get off in two hours**

**Zuko: I thought you were reading??**

**Sokka: nah fuck reading i wanna hang out**

**Zuko: Oh okay haha**

His fingers trembled over the keyboard, his brain swarming.  _ Oh fuck it.  _ He thought, typing out the message and hitting send quickly before he changed his mind. 

**Zuko: We can watch a movie at my house?**

He inhaled deeply, clicking his phone off and standing up to pace around the small kitchen that resided in the very back of the Jasmine Dragon. He tossed the quarter in his hand up and flipped it a couple times so his hands would have something to do. 

“Zuko!” A voice pulled him out of his clouded thoughts. He whirled around quickly, dropping the quarter he had just flung in the air. Mai looked at him with wide eyes, pointing to the stove. “The kettle is screaming! Turn it off!” 

Zuko cursed under his breath when his ears decided to start working again and he heard the kettle was, in fact, whistling at high volume. He scrambled to turn the flames underneath it off and the sound diminished. Mai let out an exasperated breath behind him as he sheepishly turned around and picked up the quarter he had dropped. 

“Any longer and we would’ve started losing customers. What’s wrong with you?” She crossed her arms, looking at Zuko with a raised eyebrow. 

“Nothing. Just, um, got a lot on my mind.” He quickly recovered, shaking his head and waving her off. “The tea will be out soon. Jasmine and oolong for table six, right?” 

“Yeah.” She nodded, looking at him with a face that obviously meant she wasn’t too convinced with his explanation, but she turned away and headed back out to the front counter anyway. 

Zuko scrubbed his forehead, letting out a sigh of relief he didn’t know he was holding. He loved Mai, but he just did _ not  _ want to get into it right now. Instead, he picked his phone back up and turned it on, seeing Sokka had responded. 

**Sokka: dude yes**

**Sokka: when u get off work??? also whats ur addy**

It took Zuko a few embarrassing minutes to figure out what ‘addy’ meant and he responded accordingly. 

**Zuko: Does 3:30 work for you?**

**Zuko: Also my address is 4034 ninth street**

**Sokka: yes!!!! i’ll see u then**

Zuko didn’t notice his hands were trembling again until he picked up the kettle in front of him to pour into two identical lavender tea cups. God, was this what it was always going to be like? What was wrong with him? It was just Sokka. 

Sokka, who knew how to initiate a conversation and keep it going. Sokka, who was genuinely one of the kindest people Zuko had ever met. Sokka, who actually enjoyed having Zuko around. 

After gently setting the respective tea bags in the cups, Zuko leaned on the counter, screwing his eyes shut. He needed to calm his racing heart and shaky hands before he handled anyone else’s tea. It would be really embarrassing if he dropped something in front of customers because he couldn’t stop shaking at the fact he was seeing Sokka in a couple hours. 

Zuko tilted his head back and opened his eyes, looking at the dusty roof of the back kitchen. He focused on the muffled conversations out on the shop floor, and the habitual sound of the cash register opening and closing. It was all familiar. Familiar is what he needed right now. Everything was feeling too new and too out of place for him lately. 

-

As soon as 3:15 hit, Zuko clocked out faster than he ever had before. He rushed home, thanking whoever was listening that today no one was home. Azula and Iroh were at her therapy appointment, and then Iroh would most likely take Azula to get dinner out of kindness, which means Zuko had the house to himself until at least 9 pm. 

That meant potentially more than 6 hours with Sokka, depending on the other boy’s curfew. 6 hours. Alone in his house. 

Zuko tried not to blush to himself as he sped around, tidying himself and the house up. He was checking the collar of his shirt when some knocking came from the front door. He took a deep breath and let it out as he walked to the front door. He opened it and there Sokka was, smiling from ear to ear. 

“Hey man!” Sokka greeted and Zuko smiled in reply, stepping to the side to let him in. Sokka’s eyes took in the house as he came in, and his smile didn’t seem to falter in the slightest. “Nice place.” He commented, a teasing smile making its way onto his face. “Lots of, um, candles.” 

Zuko’s face flushed quickly, and for the first time he noticed the insane amount of candles lit in the house. For Christ’s sake, there were at least five in the living room and the kitchen. 

“Oh,” Zuko paused, blinking as he racked his brain quickly to think of an explanation. “My uncle just really likes the house smelling nice.” He laughed sheepishly, following Sokka into the sitting room and blowing out a candle inconspicuously. 

“Hey, I get that. I like a good candle too.” Sokka held up his hands in defense and turned around to face Zuko again. Zuko stood up straight and smiled, his hands fidgeting a bit. 

“I don’t—” Zuko started, laughing a bit before he finished. “I don’t know exactly why I suggested we watch a movie, to be completely honest. We don’t have any of those streaming services and the only movies Uncle has on hand are old Japanese ones. I don’t think any of them have subtitles either.” His face flushed, and he refused to look at Sokka in embarrassment. 

Sokka laughed, making Zuko snap his head up. “That’s dope as hell. I would watch the old Japanese movies, but yeah, I probably wouldn’t get very far because I don’t know the language. Maybe we can get a movie at the store?” He suggested, raising his eyebrows at Zuko. 

“The—the store?” Zuko stuttered, confused as to when anyone mentioned leaving for the store. 

“Yeah, there’s a Target like ten minutes from here. We should go and get a movie and maybe some food too. I’ll pay, since you so graciously opened your home to me.” Sokka grinned, gesturing around Zuko’s sitting room with his arms as if to emphasize his last sentence. 

“Oh. Okay, sure. I’ve never been to that Target though, so—”

“You’ve never been to Target?!” Sokka’s mouth had dropped open and Zuko’s eyes widened at the same time. 

“No!” Zuko shook his head. “I mean, I’ve—I’ve been to  _ a Target _ , but just not that one. I’m not—I’m not acquainted with it.” He sputtered, blinking rapidly as the heat crawled up his neck in embarrassment. 

“Okay, regardless, we’re going. You’re officially being treated to  _ Sokka’s Target Tour _ .” Sokka laughed brightly and grabbed his arm, sending a thrill up Zuko’s spine. 

“ _ Target Tour?”  _ Zuko repeated as Sokka dragged him toward the front door of his house. 

“Yeah, I’m patenting that. I’m gonna give you the whole shebang. Me and you. Target. Tour.” Sokka grinned in Zuko’s direction again and Zuko felt himself nervously smile back. He felt like his heart was floating in his chest. 

-

Zuko didn’t know how long they spent in the store. It felt like hours, but mere minutes at the exact same time. Sokka was true to his word, he did give him a tour of the huge building. A very thorough one, at that. Zuko had to give him credit, he was a pretty good tour guide. He had led him through the clothing section, which, by the way, wasn’t as bad as he thought it was going to be. Zuko found himself eyeing a particular black shirt with red detailing on it, making a mental note to maybe come back and get it. 

After the clothing, Sokka showed him the home/crafts and technologies section, the latter being where the two boys had spent a good twenty minutes trying to beat the other in the Mario Kart sample game near the Nintendo area. Sokka was incredibly upset when Zuko beat him for the third time, swearing up and down he was going to rematch him later. Zuko had only grinned and shrugged, looking at the other boy endearingly. The two found themselves in the toy aisle after that, making comments on the new toys and how different they were from when they were kids.

“Like, what is this?” Sokka commented, picking up a rip off Transformer toy. “It’s already put together. I remember when I bought these as a kid, we had to put them together ourselves. It’s all part of the fun!” He tsk’ed with his tongue before putting the toy back on the shelf. 

“I wouldn’t know, I didn’t play with many toys as a kid.” Zuko murmured, eyes taking in the grandiose shelves that surrounded him, full of dolls and Legos and even tiny knick knacks. 

“You didn’t?” Sokka asked, turning to face him. Zuko glanced down and saw Sokka was looking at him with a look that teetered on shock and a little bit of worry. He pursed his lips and nodded, dragging his eyes back in front of him as he locked onto the colorful box of a Barbie doll.    
  


“Yeah, my father didn’t--” he paused, trying to search for the right words without worrying the boy next to him. He didn’t need to get into his horrible past right now, not when they were having such a good time. Especially not in the middle of a fucking  _ Target.  _ “He didn’t really believe in giving us material items like toys. We found our own fun, though. I just didn’t really get to be a kid. Or really, even a teenager.” He shrugged and Sokka nodded. Zuko was turning eighteen soon and he had always felt disconnected from his childhood, especially after everything in the past year. Sokka, thankfully, didn’t push. 

A few more seconds of silence hung between them before Sokka grabbed Zuko’s upper arm and started dragging him out of the toy aisle. “That does it.” He murmured to himself and Zuko stumbled to keep up. He fell into step beside the other boy and worriedly asked what he meant. “Every time I talk to you something new is revealed, Zuko. First your mom, now this with your dad? You deserve better than that. So here’s the new plan, we’re going to be teenagers this week.” Sokka gestured wildly as he quickly led the other boy toward the food section. 

“We...are teenagers?” Zuko’s eyebrows furrowed more. “I mean, last I checked I still was.” 

“Obviously.” Sokka laughed. “But we’re going to have the full teenager experience this week. The whole works. This was day one.” 

“Day one? What, the Target run?” Zuko asked, his heart racing as Sokka’s grin spread farther across his face.

“Yep! I mean, what kind of teenager are you if you’ve never been to Target to fuck around? Let’s go dawdle in the food section and then get that movie so we can have our movie night.” He clapped excitedly and sped off, Zuko hot on his trail.

-

Sokka, Zuko had concluded, had a lot of energy and a lot of kindness to spare. When they were wandering the aisles, picking up snacks they enjoyed for the night ahead of them, Sokka had grabbed a bag of chocolate covered peanuts, examining it. Zuko had paled slightly and stuttered a bit, eventually letting Sokka know of his  _ maybe, slightly severe  _ peanut allergy. Zuko felt embarrassed, his hand sneaking around the back of his neck and rubbing there.

“Dude, really? I’m sorry about that. I didn’t pick up anything else with peanuts in it, right?” Sokka had kneeled after that, searching through the bags of snacks in their basket. Zuko shook his head, kneeling beside him.

“I don’t...think so.” He murmured, his eyes scanning each bag. Sokka nodded, blinking a few times before standing back up. He asked Zuko if there were any snacks he preferred and that had been that. To a regular person, it was a normal reaction to hearing someone had an allergy. To Zuko, he had never had an interaction such as that, except maybe with Uncle. Sokka had looked him in the eye with a worried look and hastily made sure all the snacks were safe. His father used to forget he had the allergy entirely and give him meals drenched in peanut sauce. 

Zuko’s head felt cloudy for a while after that. Sokka brought him around the different aisles and showed him his favorite name brand snacks, explaining  _ why  _ he liked them but Zuko couldn’t find it in himself to fully focus, even when he tried really hard. Everything felt so different with Sokka, he couldn’t explain it. There was something about spending time with Sokka that Zuko craved, like an addiction. When he was with him, his mind didn’t feel like a battleground where his negative and positive thoughts were fighting it out anymore. It was just Sokka, Sokka,  _ Sokka.  _

Eventually Zuko snapped out of his trance when a DVD case was being shoved in his face. His eyes focused on the object in front of him as he took it from Sokka’s hands. Nicolas Cage stood menacingly on the cover, a piece of parchment slapped on the background behind him. Below his body, the words “ _ National Treasure” _ spliced together with the Eye of Providence. Zuko raised an eyebrow and looked at the grinning boy who had handed it to him. 

“Nic Cage, Sokka? Really?”

“No, shut up. It’s a phenomenal movie. I fucking love it.” 

“Nothing with Nic Cage is phenomenal.”

Sokka scoffed over dramatically, snatching the movie back from Zuko and waving it in his face. “We’re watching this. I don’t care if you like it or not.” 

“Whatever.” Zuko responded, rolling his eyes, but despite himself, left a faint smile evident on his face. Sokka was endearing, even if Zuko would never just outright  _ tell _ him that. 

After standing in line at the checkout for what felt like forever, the two headed back to Zuko’s. Zuko felt his hands clam up again after he remembered what he was about to do. 

Movie night with Sokka. Alone in his house. For a solid full night. 

Yeah, he was, for sure, fucked. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heyyyyyyyy......
> 
> so sorry abt getting this out 2 days late D: i dont have an excuse but there's my apology 
> 
> ALSO this might just be me but if u feel like da story is kind of at a stand still DONT WORRY shit WILL go down soon! stuff WILL happen ! there WILL be angst so sorry
> 
> just hang in there :D 
> 
> thank u 4 reading as always. if u enjoyed then kudos and comments are always super appreciated !!<3
> 
> twitter: @ciaraozwald  
> tumblr: intheheightlive


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